# 42nd International Midsummer Festival in Tagliacozzo

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/festival-internazionale-di-mezza-estate-in-tagliacozzo
> Updated: 2026-08-16T16:30:16.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 3.

The 42nd edition of the Festival Internazionale di Mezza Estate in Tagliacozzo features a diverse program of music, literature, comedy, and theatre.

Literary and historical presentations include Fernando Riccardi’s book, ‘Maria Capitanio. La vera storia di una brigantessa’, which explores female brigandage in 1868; Suor Francesca Zambelli’s study of Clarisse foundations in the Abruzzo region; and Francesco Lepore’s ‘Bellezza antica e sempre nuova. Il latino nel mondo di oggi’, regarding the contemporary relevance of Latin. Other literary entries include Gianluca Di Feo’s ‘Il cielo sporco’ and Roberta Bernardi’s ‘Cinquanta minuti a settimana, dieci vite, dieci pazienti, una scelta’.

Musical highlights feature the ‘Stars a Pop Rock Celebration’ tribute to artists like the Beatles and Queen, a Mozart-themed dawn concert at the Santuario della Madonna dell’Oriente, a tribute to Fabrizio De Andrè by Cristiano De Andrè, and a performance by Tony Hadley with the Orchestra dell’Istituzione Sinfonica Abruzzese. Italian singer Rita Pavone also performed a retrospective of her 64-year career titled ‘Un piede nel passato e lo sguardo dritto e aperto nel futuro’.

The cultural program is further enriched by the national theatrical premiere of ‘Uno studio per diario di un narcisista perbene’ at the Chiostro di San Francesco. In comedy, Enrico Brignano’s ‘Bello di Mamma’ reached sold-out status, though it was briefly rescheduled to August 18 due to adverse weather. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Abruzzo Region, and the Municipality of Tagliacozzo.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-16: Tagliacozzo hosts 42nd International Midsummer Festival

The 42nd Festival Internazionale di Mezza Estate in Tagliacozzo features performances by Tony Hadley, Cristiano De Andrè, and Enrico Brignano, alongside various literary presentations.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/tagliacozzo-hosts-42nd-international-midsummer-festival

### 2026-08-10: Festival Internazionale di Mezza Estate features Rita Pavone

The XLII Festival Internazionale di Mezza Estate features a career retrospective by singer Rita Pavone and a historical presentation by Suor Francesca Zambelli in Tagliacozzo.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/festival-internazionale-di-mezza-estate-features-rita-pavone

### 2026-08-09: Festival Internazionale di Mezza Estate features pop-rock and literature

The 42nd Festival Internazionale di Mezza Estate in Tagliacozzo features a book presentation on Maria Capitanio and a

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/festival-internazionale-di-mezza-estate-features-pop-rock-and-literature

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Cite as: 42nd International Midsummer Festival in Tagliacozzo. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/festival-internazionale-di-mezza-estate-in-tagliacozzo